The Baltimore Comic-Con is happy to announce the addition of comic super-star John Romita, Jr. to the growing line-up for this year’s show, taking place September 8-9, 2012 at the Baltimore Convention Center. Romita, Jr. will be appearing at the Hero Initiative booth both Saturday and Sunday.

Romita, Jr., the son of comic legend John Romita, began his illustrious career in comics in 1977 penciling a 6-page story in Marvel’s Amazing Spider-Man Annual #11. Throughout his 35-year career, he has drawn such characters as Spider-Man, Daredevil, the X-Men, the Incredible Hulk, the Punisher, and Thor.

Most recently, Romita, Jr. finished working on the follow-up to Mark Millar’s Kick-Ass and is the current series artist for Marvel’s Avengers, which relaunched in 2010.

The Hero Initiative is a federally charted not-for-profit corporation dedicated to helping comic book creators in their hour on need. By providing financial safety nets for medical aid, financial support for the necessities of life, and an avenue back to paying work, the Hero Initiative, through the support of its donors, has been able to grant more than $500,000 to over 50 comic veterans.

For more information about how to help support the Hero Initiative, please visit www.heroinitiative.org. For more information about the Baltimore Comic-Con, please visit baltimorecomiccom.com.

About The Baltimore Comic-Con
The Baltimore Comic-Con is celebrating its 13th year of bringing the comic book industry to the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area. With a guest list unequaled in the industry, the Baltimore Comic-Con will be held September 8-9, 2012. For more information, please visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com.

About The Harvey Awards
The Harvey Awards are one of the comic book industry’s oldest and most respected awards. With a history of over 20 years, the last 7 in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con, the Harveys recognize outstanding achievements in over 20 categories. They are the only industry awards nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals. For more information, please visit www.harveyawards.org.

Harvard Book Store is excited to welcome acclaimed memoirist and cartoonist ALISON BECHDEL for a discussion of her new memoir, Are You My Mother?: A Comic Drama.

Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home was a pop culture and literary phenomenon. Now, a second thrilling tale of filial sleuthery, this time about her mother: voracious reader, music lover, passionate amateur actor. Also a woman, unhappily married to a closeted gay man, whose artistic aspirations simmered under the surface of Bechdel’s childhood . . . and who stopped touching or kissing her daughter good night, forever, when she was seven.

Poignantly, hilariously, Bechdel embarks on a quest for answers concerning the mother-daughter gulf. It’s a richly layered search that leads readers from the fascinating life and work of the iconic twentieth-century psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott, to one explosively illuminating Dr. Seuss illustration, to Bechdel’s own (serially monogamous) adult love life. And, finally, back to Mother—to a truce, fragile and real-time, that will move and astonish all adult children of gifted mothers.

Wrightson’s illustrated version of Mary Shelley’s novel first chilled us in 1983. Now he’s returning to Frankenstein along with frequent collaborator and fellow horror master Steve Niles. We’re anxious to see Wrightson once again illustrate the troubled creation in his engraving-like style.

Artist Kevin Maguire signs at Jim Hanley’s Universe in Manhattan on Wednesday, May 2, 2012 at 6:00pm to celebrate the release of DC Comics’ inaugural book leading off the second wave of the New 52 with World’s Finest #1!

(A purchase of World’s Finest #1 is required to participate in the event.)

Clayton Crain and many more sign at Comic Book Ink on Saturday May 5, 2012 for Free Comic Book Day!

Press Release:

Tacoma, Washington’s COMIC BOOK INK, is thrilled to announce the return of the nation’s BIGGEST “Comic Book Holiday”…FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!! (www.freecomicbookday.com)

Starting at 10:00am on SATURDAY, MAY 5th 2010, Comic Book Ink will host its 9th Annual Celebration for folks who love comics and everything about them! While supplies last, the shop will be giving away FREE SPECIALLY MARKED COMICS throughout the day.

“This year promises to be our biggest yet with over THIRTY-SEVEN (37) DIFFERENT TITLES to choose from…” said store owner, JOHN MUNN, “There is literally something for everyone young and old…whether its your first comic ever to you four thousanth!”

“We are having a GUEST OF HONOR at this year’s event! Marvel Superstar Artist CLAYTON CRAIN,” Munn reported happilu, “This is the first time we have had a Guest of Honor since our very first Free Comic Book Day in 2003 with ADAM KUBERT. Clayton will be producing a SPECIAL EDITION of his phenomenal SKETCHBOOK! We don’t know how many he is bringing, but folks will want to be there early to guarantee they get one!”

With companies ranging from the Big Two (DC COMICS and MARVEL), the largest of the Independent Companies (DARK HORSE, IDW and IMAGE) to the smallest (ASPEN, ARCHIA, ONI and TOP SHELF to name a few)…all of the industry is coming out to play!

A myriad of stories featuring a CAVALCADE of CHARACTERS will be available. Some of the names include: THE AVENGERS. THE JUSTICE LEAGUE, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, STAR WARS and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER! PLUS such great titles as PEANUTS, THE SMURFS, THE SIMPSONS, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, TRANSFORMERS, Disney’s DONALD DUCK, THE SIMPSONS, VOLTRON, and, yes, even YO GABBA GABBA.

Don’t forget, we will also giving away a FREE MARVEL HEROCLIX of THOR, from this Summer’s GREEN LANTERN Movie Opening June 17th at the Lakewood Regal, while supplies last!

And, don’t worry, we’ll show you how to use him in a game with demonstrations of HEROCLIX (from WIZKIDS GAMES)!

“We are also lucky to have a huge number of phenomenal new, and returning, guests, joining World Famous Comic Book Artist, CLAYTON CRAIN, to this year’s Free Comic Book Day,” Munn continued, ” With members of the 501st LEGION of STAR WARS RECREATIONISTS,a chance to meet some of Tacoma’s Own Phenomenal Roller Girls, THE DOCKYARD DERBY DAMES, the phenomenal SKETCH ARTIST JESSE MUNOZ, JAMES STOWE, MARK BRILL and MARK MONLUX from the CARTOONIST LEAGUE OF ABSURD WASHINGTONIANS, Characters from the Dead Gentlemen/Zombie Orpheous Films including, JOURNEYQUEST and THE GAMERS, Members of the indie smash Web Series THE COLLECTIBLES, Plus the folks from our neighbor, the LAKEWOOD REGAL CINEMAS, will be on hand again to give out FREE POSTERS, comic book fans dressed up as a myriad of characte for our ANNUAL COSTUME CONTEST and MORE! But we also have a few more ‘special events’ up our sleeve.”

“This is an event that couples the fun and accessibility of comics with the promotion of literacy for all ages,” Munn finished, “While having the BIGGEST BACK ISSUE SALE IN THE COUNTY to cap it all off! There is literally NO BIGGER CELEBRATION of FREE COMIC BOOK DAY happening in the Tacoma / Lakewood / University Place Area! ”

COMIC BOOK INK (located at 2510 S. 84th Street, Suites 15A-B, Lakewood, WA 98499) was established in 2002 as a community oriented store and with the hopes of establishing the shop as a public meeting place, as well as cultural center, for those who love, or want to learn more, about comic books. The shop is a SEVEN TIME NOMINEE for the WILL EISNER SPIRIT of RETAILING AWARD (2004-2010).

For more information about FREE COMIC BOOK DAY, on SATURDAY, MAY 5th from 10:00am until 10:00pm, please contact John Munn at (253) 761-4641 or at the shop located at 2510 S. 84th Street, Suites 15A-B, Lakewood, WA 98499.

Illusive Comics & Games is hosting Free Comic Book Day on Saturday, May 5th from 9am to 7pm. There will be special free comics for the public, and a huge storewide sale as part of their annual Free Comic Book Day celebration.

This is a family friendly event and admission is free and open to the public.

The creative team Alpha Girl, by Image Comics, will be on hand to sign their new hit comic. Co-Creator Jean-Paul Bonjour, co-creator and writer Jeffrey Roenning, penciller Robert Love, and inker Dana Shukartsi will be signing from 10am-2pm.

The philanthropic costuming club The 501st Legion will have seven Star Wars Storm Troopers on-hand to pose for photos and welcome kids of all ages to the world of comic books. Also on hand will be a Balloon Twister and local Illustrator, Gaz Gretsky.

Returning for his 11th annual Dewey’s Comic City FREE COMIC BOOK DAY appearance is Archie Comics artist and writer Fernando Ruiz (Archie Comics, EPIC, Kubert School instructor), Fabio Redivo (artist on the forthcoming EPIC anthology titles, and a Kubert School instructor), Anthony Marques (artist EPIC anthology, Kubert instructor) and Nick Justus (artist Bluewater Productions). We would also like to welcome members of the 3rd year graduating class of the KUBERT COMIC ART SCHOOL – Angie Fernot and Henrik Jonson!